What Makes A Successful Stall Team?
Intro:
Stall. The most annoying genre of team you can come across. In this type of game play Stall teams aren't very fast at all but its there pure defensive power that sets them apart from the rest. Stall teams may not be able to outspeed other pokemon very well but they can sure take big hits and then also hit back hard as well. Stall sadly doesn't have such a big range of pokemon compared to other types of teams so thats why I have tried to make this as original as I can whilst still maintaining all the best pokemon that can be used in stall effectively.
If you look at the team by a glance you will see that it has great resistances typewise and that each type is there to cover up the other one with the carefully selected pokemon.
This team is meant to help inspire other people to try and get into Stall game play and work the wonders of status inducing moves and as much originality they can use while maintaining a great stall team, think of it as a today kind of version of ObiStall and as a reference. I have used this team quite abit myself now and it is still to be defeated which goes to show it really is quite the team. It has had a number of 6-0's and 5-0's which is also really great too. Anyways thats enough from me for now. Sit back and enjoy the guide to success for a good stall team.
Closer look:
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers *** Egg Shooter
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 40 SpAtk / 216 SpDef
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic
- Flamethrower
Ok, so you're probably thinking errr what on earth is Blissey doing as lead for!? Well as I have learnt with this team Blissey does great as a lead for any stall team, the opponent doesn't know what to expect and Toxic, Wish, and Protect are an awesome combo that can start the game off very well against most common leads, heres one example.
If Azelf isn't running taunt then Blissey can use Toxic while Azelf uses Stealth Rock then Azelf will most certainly use Explosion in the next turn with which Blissey can just use Protect and then there you have it, one pokemon down 5 to go. However if Azelf supposedly is running Taunt then the team can easily just switch out to Rotom-h while Azelf explodes.
Not to mention Blissey is the best special wall in the game. Flamethrower has gotten me the rare Scizor kill, quite alot of Forretress kills but its mainly there for an unexpected Skarmory kill. Now onto the ev's and nature. Well it has Calm nature and all those special defence ev's because if it plans to stand up to the likes of Nasty Plot Aura Sphere Togekiss, Focus Blast Gengar, and yes, with this spread, Blissey even has a shot at surviving the much acclaimed Modest Life Orb Nasty Plot Adaptability Hyper Beam PorygonZ (although Blissey isn't usually the first to switch into something like that).
It will always survive the same from +SpA Download PorygonZ (although it will sometimes fall to Sandstorm afterward). Blissey also needs it to survive Choice Specs Flash Fire Fire Blasts from Heatran. Another thing you may be wondering is why Toxic? You already have Toxic Spikes, Isn't that enough!? Well the answer is no. Blissey does great on things like Zapdos because she can poison pokemon that are usually immune to the spikes.
I named my Blissey "Egg Shooter" because legend has it Blissey is known for shooting her eggs at other opponent when she is in a rage.
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Zapdos @ Leftovers *** Shadow_Blaze
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 220 SpDef / 36 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Roar
This version of Zapdos is based around being bulky in a Special defensive form which means Zapdos can be switched into the likes of Mixape, or any other ice type pokemon while still being able to take hard hits from Lucario, Metagross, Scizor as well thanks to the typing, since most physical sweepers are Fighting or Steel type what other better pokemon than Zapdos to wall those kind of things and still keep up with Special sweeping pokemon. Zapdos also makes the perfect Pressure staller too. making it a very useful pokemon.
As well as being a Special wall to the team Zapdos is my first Phazer to the team. It took awhile to decide if it needed Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Grass but its nothing the team already has so I took the advantage of that and gave it Roar which works well for it. One of the most effective ways I have found to use it so far is encounters with Ninjask.
An example is Ninjask is the opening pokemon, I switch out to Forretress first and then start setting up spikes. By the time I finish up with spikes I send out Zapdos. By this time they are just getting ready to Baton Pass, so they do and whats this Zapdos just blows it away and been able to set up all those spikes freely. The EV's are nice and bulky so Zapdos can take hard ice attacks from Mixape and other ice type pokemon but then still hit hard back with Heat Wave if Zapdos is opposing an ice type.
I named my Zapdos "Shadow_Blaze" because I know he likes Zapdos and he is a great tutor.
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Celebi @ Leftovers *** Celebrity
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Def / 8 SpD / 32 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Grass Knot
And what is a Stall team without a seeder to go on top of all that status inducing ability. When Leech Seed and Toxic Spikes are in play Celebi can stall out a pokemon by using Recover while leech seed helps gradually take out pokemon. Celebi has solid speed, great HP and best of all defensive strengths in the physical range. Celebi can take hits from DDdos which is great if Zapdos has been taken out early on in the game which I don't plan to happen anyway.
One of the other great things about Celebi is that is has Persish song making it another phazer that can go along nice with Zapdos. Giving me a Psedo Phazer and just a regular Phazer which is good to have. Although Celebi is based around being a tank whenever Leech Seed is in Celebi is at the top of its game and can aid Leech Seed with a hard hitting STAB Grass Knot which can help if Toxic Spikes isn't up at that time.
The EV spread gives Celebi a whole heap of bulkiness which is perfect to help and support the team. Celebi is also immune like Blissey to any status problems that pokemon may try to inflict on it thanks to the great power of Natural Cure which can really help out in alot of situations.
I named my Celebi "Celebrity" because it always trys to show off in anyway possible.
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Swampert (M) @ Leftovers *** No1LiekzMeh
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 246 HP / 18 Atk / 236 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
Ok, I already know what you're thinking. Errrr, why Avalanche on a Swampert? You are running an ice type move on Swampert when he gets outsped by the majority of other grass types anyway...Well the answer to that very question is for other grass pokemon that may try to switch in on Swampert. If you've seen a grass type pokemon on the opponents team and you send out Swampert they are only sure to swithc out that grass type pokemon next turn and thats why you can suprise them with Avalanche on the switch.
Swampert is the teams Tyranitar counter and does the best job at it because if its Earthquake connects with Tyranitar it gets OHKOed and instantly solves the teams problem. Tyranitar can just rip apart stall teams without it. Swampert aids Forretress the best with a 4x resistance to fire type moves and it they dare to stay in they can be hit hard by Swamperts Earthquake. Swampert also helps the team set up the stall with the addition of Stealth Rock to get some damage on those pesky flying types.
I named my Swampert "No1LiekzMe" because he is no longer a Mudkip. Plus other pokemon also wouldn't like Swampert especially Tyranitar. lol.
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Rotom-h @ Leftovers *** iBrnUrFood
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Every successful stall team needs a Spin Blocker otherwise you can get in trouble with all those wasted turns of setting up spikes and rocks. So when the team encounters things like Tentacruel, Cloyser, Starmie of any other pokemon that can learn Rapid Spin in comes Rotom-h to save the day.
Rotom-h also makes a very succesful "Status Absorber" for the team and does his job very effectively. With the addition of Rest and Sleep Talk this can make him a great staller at the same time and his most ideal for once you have set up Stealth rock and Toxic Spikes as it can easily help stall out the opposing team.
Its bulky EV set to be worked in both kind of defenses is also superb making Rotom-h a really hard pokemon to break down and get past by meaning alot of trouble for the opponent and a really nice combo for the stall. With that all being said any Rotom form is ideal for a stall team as they make great Spin Blockers and Status Absorbers.
I named my Rotom-h "iBurnUrFood" because I once tried using Rotom-h as an oven and he burned my food :@
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Forretress (M) @ Shed Shell *** Old School
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spe)
- Gyro Ball
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
Forretress, the heart and soul to this team and without him the team wouldn't be able to set up the mains of the stall which is crucial for any stall team. As long as Forretress is sent out at the right time then he can most certainly get some spikes up and cause the stall to begin.
With those nice bulky EV's a physical sweeper would find it very hard to try and get past him and Forretress can start setting up if they dare to try it. However if he does get in abit of trouble with say a special sweeper or a fire type is really no problem at all as he can just be switched out.
Forretress is also great for another reason, sure he learns both the spiking moves but he also learns Rapid Spin which is great to have for support on a team like this. Gyro Ball doesn't do much on Forretress with his bulky EV spread but its there anyway just incase.
I nicknamed my Forretress "Old School" because it was used alot more way back in the day.
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Conclusion:
In conclusion, this team may be slow but can take hard hits and still take out matches in a different fashion to offensive play. I hope you have enjoyed reading the team and you could even help make me make it better if you have any suggestions. I would also like to point out that this team is a {NO RIP} team so please respect that and don't steal.
~ IpF
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Team Building
Ok, so my main goal for this team was for it to be a very effective Stall team that would compliment each others typing while still being as effective and also as original as it could be which can be quite tricky in the Stall type genre. Here is a standard threat list of all the common OU pokemon and there counters, from this we can see how the actual team can revolve around this.
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Comprehensive Threat List And Counters:
Abomasnow: Scizor and Metagross.
Azelf: Scizor, Spiritomb, Tyranitar, Blissey, Cresselia and Houndoom.
Blissey: Machamp, Dugtrio, almost anything physical and faster and with the capability to kill her without taking much in return.
Breloom Zapdos. ResTalk Rotom-h.
Dugtrio: Slowbro, Suicune - general BulkyWaters or anything that can take an Earthquake.
Suicune: Blissey can take non-rest Suicunes with the combination of Toxic + Seismic toss. BulkyWaters which can take Surf work also. Special Sponge Zapdos can also do the job nicely.
Salamence: Hippowdon, Porygon2
Raikou: Blissey and Dugtrio.
Kingdra: Empoleon, Slowbro.
Zapdos: Blissey, Tyranitar, Cresselia, Swampert, Hippowdon
Tyranitar: Bronzong, Hippowdon
Heatran: Porygon2, Cresselia, Tyranitar, Blissey, BulkyWater.
Rhyperior: Suicune, Celebi, Breloom, Torterra, Rotom-W
Scizor: Heatran, Zapdos, Rotom-h
Mamoswine: Bronzong, Rotom-h, Scizor, Vaporeon / BulkyWater, Suicune, Slowbro
Lucario: Scizor, Rotom-H, Slowbro, Hippowdon
Rotom (all formes) Blissey (non-trick variants), T-Tar, Cresselia, Scizor (non-Will-O-Wisp)
Gengar: Scizor, Blissey, Tyranitar
Celebi: Heatran, Scizor, Rotom-h, Houndoom, Weavile
Slowbro: Scizor
Yanmega: Heatran, Blissey, Rotom, Mamoswine, Zapdos
Magnezone: Scizor, Dugtrio, Blissey
Starmie: Scizor, Blissey
Gyarados: Zapdos, [Bulky water with Hidden Power [Electric] / Grass Knot], Rotom formes
Heracross: Zapdos, Rotom-h
Cresselia: Scizor, Tyranitar, Weavile, Houndoom
BulkyWater: Zapdos, Blissey
Machamp: Slowbro, Gliscor
Togekiss: Blissey, Rotom, Bronzong
Porygon-Z Blissey, Bronzong
Jolteon: Blissey, Bronzong, Porygon2, Dugtrio
Swampert: Grass / Grass knot, Celebi
Metagross: Hippowdon, Rotom-h, Zapdos (to an extent), Swampert
Flygon: Hippowdon
Jirachi: Heatran, Hippowdon, Blissey
Skarmory: Rotom forme, Zapdos
Forretress: Zapdos, Heatran, Rotom
Hippowdon: Grass Knot / Celebi, Bulkywater
Aerodactyl: Hippowdon, Slowbro, bulkywater
Gliscor: BulkyWater, Slowbro
Snorlax: Machamp, Rhyperior
Infernape: Cresselia, BulkyWater
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General Stall Team Threat List And Counters:
Okay, so from discovering, what Pokemon countered the general threat list, I needed to know what Pokemon also helped counter the Pokemon which were counters to all stall teams in general. The list is as follows:
Tyranitar: Swampert
Empoleon: Zapdos, Rotom
Lucario: Zapdos, Swampert, Bronzong, Heatran
Jirachi: Zapdos, Swampert, Blissey, Hippowdon, Bronzong, Gliscor, Heatran
Mismagius: Rotom, Blissey, Clefable
Infernape: Swampert (Rindo Berry), Tentacruel, Cresselia, Gliscor, Suicune, Bulky Water
Rotom (All Formes): Blissey (Trick Varient), Clefable (Trick Varient)
Starmie: Zapdos, Blissey, Rotom, Celebi
Gyarados: Celebi, Zapdos, Suicune (Offensive), Rotom, Swampert
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General Stall Team Threats And Counter Tally
Okay, so from there I took a list of all the Pokemon that countered the "threat list Pokemon" including the Pokemon who countered the general stall team threats and then tallied them up to see which Pokemon countered most of the threat list; this would help me know what Pokemon could help me sustain a well in-cooperated team by analyzing Pokemon and their potential on the team. I wanted to get at least 20 points countering the general stall threat list and at least 40 for the general threat list which was quite a high goal for a stall team. It goes in the following format:
Blissey | 12 | 4
Hippowdon : 7 : 1
Rotom (General formes) : 7 : 4
Swampert : 7 : 4
Bronzong : 4 : 2
Cresselia : 8 : 1
Tyranitar : 7 : 2
Gliscor : 4 : 2
Zapdos : 11 : 6
Celebi : 3 : 2
Suicune : 4 : 2
Heatran : 8 : 2
Machamp:: 3 : 0
Forretress: 0 : 0
Skarmory: 0 : 0
Tentacruel: 0 : 1
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These were all pokemon I could have used And so from there, I referred back to the Comprehensive threat list and saw what Pokemon countered what. To an extent. I was looking for Pokemon who did the best job of countering X and supporting Y (Y Being threats to stall teams in general (X being Other Pokemon on the team).
I wanted to use a team which followed the team structure which I was wanting to keep:
Blissey, Rotom, Cresselia, Bronzong, and Zapdos.
Now from that selection my first choice was an obvious one as I took Blissey aside and started to think what I could do with Blissey. As I was thinking about a lead I thought well Blissey could actually have some potential as a "Stall" team lead. So I thought lots about it and well it turned out that it was a viable option as it would (a) Be a great way to start off the game with status inducing ability plus immediate wish support and (b) It would be a very unexpected suprise to the opponent.
So I decided to use the following Blissey set:
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers *** Egg Shooter
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 40 SpAtk / 216 SpDef
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic
- Flamethrower
With 12 points on general threat list and 4 points on stall threat list and being the best special wall in the game things were certainly starting off in the right track. Plus my first status inducer was now in place. From there on I began to start building the base of the team
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Ok, so now I needed something to cover up for Blisseys fighting type weakness, which meant I needed a physical wall as offensive moves are usually fighting types. Celebi being a great physical wall, but a psychic type, a status inducer and the psedo phazer I needed so really what better pokemon to use. I ended up using this set:
Celebi @ Leftovers *** Celebrity
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Def / 8 SpD / 32 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Grass Knot
So now with Blissey and Celebi to aid each other the team was looking pretty solid. Both status inducers were now already in the team and it was now time to cover Celebi's weakness. Sadly since Celebi is weak to 3 different types (Fire /Ice /Ghost) it was going to be hard to cover with all those goals and type selection. However in some ways it was good because if it could be pulled off the team would have a range of ways to go and not just one pokemon down and the whole team is destroyed which is why this in a way gave it some good Synergy potential. Also switching out with Blissey continuously is a great way to stall out opponents who try to inflict status problems towards you which can really get opponent annoyed at times.
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Ok, it was now time to get a start on Celebi's weaknesses while still maintaining a nice balance of stall. Thanks to Blissey though all its weaknesses were already eliminated proving useful with the addition of Natural Cure on both of them. The way I see Celebi is a physical version of Blissey making them a great combo on a team and keeps the flow running continuously. So by this time 1/3rd of the team was done and it was looking something like this:
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It was now time to pick another pokemon which also complemented Celebi's weaknesses. I decided to pick Swampert as his results on the general threat list and stalling thread list were great and he was the counter to the feared Tyranitar which can absolutely rip apart stall teams without it. I used the following set:
Swampert (M) @ Leftovers *** No1LiekzMeh
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 246 HP / 18 Atk / 236 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Avalanche
- Waterfall
With the addition of Tyranitar counter to the team it added more physical attacking moves to the team which it needed and the addition of Stealth Rocks too. By this stage the team was really starting to look good.
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Ok, so Swampert now the obvious thing to do was to fix up Swamperts grass type problem. Zapdos was very well and truly the best choice to cover up for this as it could then bring on a heavy Heat Wave to the opposing grass type pokemon. I used the following set to do so for this:
Zapdos @ Leftovers *** Shadow_Blaze
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 220 SpDef / 36 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Roar
Zapdos also added my second speical wall to the team giving me 2 Physical Walls and 2 Special walls all aiding each other in the best possibly way. Not enough synergy you say? (lol) Well if that wasn't enough it then became apparent Zapdos's weakness to ice was covered by Swampert making it another nice flow like Blissey and Celebi.
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So by this time I had my 2 status inducers, my psedo phazer and my regular phazer, 2 physical walls and 2 special walls leaving my team currently looking like this:
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Now that the team was starting to gradually get alot better and with the amount of synergy it had it was time to bring in a status absorber.
Here the team had a choice between either any of the rotom formes:
or Cresselia
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But whenever you make a stall team the crucial thing you always have to remember is pack a Spin Blocker (a.k.a) a ghost type, most preferably a Rotom form. Anyway I chose Rotom-h as I have had experience with it in the past and it seems to be most effective for me. The set is as follows:
Rotom-h @ Leftovers *** iBrnUrFood
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
So now with a Spin Blocker and a Mixed Tank (bulked up in SpDef to balance it out) the team was going very nicely from there on out. But not to mention now the team was very capable of slipping out of status problems as the team now had achieved the goal of 3 Status Absorbers. In a stall team it is important to keep your pokemon as status free as you can as you are the one you want to be inflicting the status problems to.
Rotom-h's weakness "Ghost" type is covered by Blissey and Zapdos keeping up with that synergy.
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The team was now only one pokemon short from being from being complete and it was now time to get the all important spiker to help finish up and sum up the teams stalling capability.
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Now with a choice of 3 spikers from either: Tentacruel, Skarmory and Forretress
I took some time to think through which one would be the ideal one to use and why. Skarmory has 1 weakness and can only set up Spikes, while not being able to rapid spin. Tentacruel has 2 weaknesses, can only et up Toxic Spikes and can rapid spin. And then theres Forretress with 1 weakness, can set up both "spikes" and "toxic spikes" and on top of all that he can Rapid Spin. So the choice was then clear after that I would go with Forretress.
Forretress may have a heavy fire weakness but if its physical it can be covered by both Zapdos and Rotom-h and if its special it can be taken by Rotom-h again and Blissey. However Swampert can take it either way and then hit back hard with an Earthquake. The only better thing about Tentacruel then Forretress is that it can take out Infernape but its still not worth it.
With this team by running Forretress it saves up a spot and can still keep its wonderful synergy.
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After all that, this is the end result of my team:
As a final recap have ended up with this:
Final threat list:
Abomasnow: Zapdos's Heat Wave takes care of this ;Blissey handles special variants.
Azelf: Azelf can be pressured / tricked in to exploding with Blissey but is countered by Rotom-h's Shadow Ball and defences.
Blissey: Swamperts Earthquake counters Blissey nicely.
Breloom: Zapdos can Heat Wave it.
Dugtrio: Swampert cause Earthquake / Avalanche to counter it whilst Celebi can use Grass Knot on it.
Suicune: Blissey can take non-rest Suicunes with the combination of Toxic + Wish + Protect. But Celebi is my main conter for it. Rotom-h also helps.
Salamence: Swampert walls it and then Avalanche.
Raikou: Blissey.
Kingdra: Celebi can counter this thing and stops it cold.
Zapdos: Blissey and Celebi
Tyranitar: Swampert walls it and OHKOes with Earthquake.
Heatran: Blissey, Zapdos and Swampert.
Rhyperior: Celebi can just use Grass Knot on it.
Scizor: Zapdos
Mamoswine: Scizor and Slowbro.
Lucario: Zapdos walls it hard and OHKOes with Heat Wave.
Rotom (all formes): Blissey (non-trick variants), otherwise, let Zapdos or someone take Scarf and deal with it from there.
Gengar: Zapdos walls it and can stat eleminating it.
Celebi: Swamperts ice beam (With Swamperts Rindo Berry still on)
Slowbro: Zapdos
Yanmega: Blissey can Flamethrower. Swampert can ice beam, Zapdos can Thunderbolt and Rotom-h can Discharge.
Magnezone: Blissey and Swampert
Starmie: Blissey, Zapdos can use Thunderbolt and Rotom-h can use Discharge.
Gyarados: Swampert can Stone edge, Zapdos can Thunderbolt although Rotom-h is my main counter here as he is bulky enough to take the hits and then go back with Discharge for the OHKO.
Heracross: Zapdos can Heat Wave.
Cresselia: Blissey and Swampert.
BulkyWater: Zapdos, Blissey, Celebi and Rotom-h.
Machamp: Celebi
Togekiss: Blissey <3
Porygon-Z: Blissey. Rotom-h and Zapdos.
Jolteon: Blissey, Swampert can earthquake.
Swampert: Celebi can Grass knot it.
Metagross: Zapdos can come in on Meteor Mash / Earthquake and Heat Wave
Flygon: Swampert.
Jirachi: Blissey and Swampert
Skarmory: Zapdos can Thunderbolt / Heat Wave for an OHKO.
Forretress: Zapdos OHKOs with Heat Wave.
Hippowdon: Celebi can Grass Knot it
Aerodactyl: Swampert.
Gliscor: Swampert can just use Avalanche and OHKO.
Infernape: NP nape is taken by Swampert still. Mixape is walled by Zapdos and gradually taken out.
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I would like to point out this is the first of two guides so stay tuned for "What Makes A Succesful Offensive Team" next time!
Look forward to hear what you have to say about the reference.
Also credits to Malachi for the sweet format and had work on the threat lists.
Intro:
Stall. The most annoying genre of team you can come across. In this type of game play Stall teams aren't very fast at all but its there pure defensive power that sets them apart from the rest. Stall teams may not be able to outspeed other pokemon very well but they can sure take big hits and then also hit back hard as well. Stall sadly doesn't have such a big range of pokemon compared to other types of teams so thats why I have tried to make this as original as I can whilst still maintaining all the best pokemon that can be used in stall effectively.
If you look at the team by a glance you will see that it has great resistances typewise and that each type is there to cover up the other one with the carefully selected pokemon.
This team is meant to help inspire other people to try and get into Stall game play and work the wonders of status inducing moves and as much originality they can use while maintaining a great stall team, think of it as a today kind of version of ObiStall and as a reference. I have used this team quite abit myself now and it is still to be defeated which goes to show it really is quite the team. It has had a number of 6-0's and 5-0's which is also really great too. Anyways thats enough from me for now. Sit back and enjoy the guide to success for a good stall team.
Closer look:
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers *** Egg Shooter
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 40 SpAtk / 216 SpDef
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic
- Flamethrower
Ok, so you're probably thinking errr what on earth is Blissey doing as lead for!? Well as I have learnt with this team Blissey does great as a lead for any stall team, the opponent doesn't know what to expect and Toxic, Wish, and Protect are an awesome combo that can start the game off very well against most common leads, heres one example.
If Azelf isn't running taunt then Blissey can use Toxic while Azelf uses Stealth Rock then Azelf will most certainly use Explosion in the next turn with which Blissey can just use Protect and then there you have it, one pokemon down 5 to go. However if Azelf supposedly is running Taunt then the team can easily just switch out to Rotom-h while Azelf explodes.
Not to mention Blissey is the best special wall in the game. Flamethrower has gotten me the rare Scizor kill, quite alot of Forretress kills but its mainly there for an unexpected Skarmory kill. Now onto the ev's and nature. Well it has Calm nature and all those special defence ev's because if it plans to stand up to the likes of Nasty Plot Aura Sphere Togekiss, Focus Blast Gengar, and yes, with this spread, Blissey even has a shot at surviving the much acclaimed Modest Life Orb Nasty Plot Adaptability Hyper Beam PorygonZ (although Blissey isn't usually the first to switch into something like that).
It will always survive the same from +SpA Download PorygonZ (although it will sometimes fall to Sandstorm afterward). Blissey also needs it to survive Choice Specs Flash Fire Fire Blasts from Heatran. Another thing you may be wondering is why Toxic? You already have Toxic Spikes, Isn't that enough!? Well the answer is no. Blissey does great on things like Zapdos because she can poison pokemon that are usually immune to the spikes.
I named my Blissey "Egg Shooter" because legend has it Blissey is known for shooting her eggs at other opponent when she is in a rage.
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Zapdos @ Leftovers *** Shadow_Blaze
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 220 SpDef / 36 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Roar
This version of Zapdos is based around being bulky in a Special defensive form which means Zapdos can be switched into the likes of Mixape, or any other ice type pokemon while still being able to take hard hits from Lucario, Metagross, Scizor as well thanks to the typing, since most physical sweepers are Fighting or Steel type what other better pokemon than Zapdos to wall those kind of things and still keep up with Special sweeping pokemon. Zapdos also makes the perfect Pressure staller too. making it a very useful pokemon.
As well as being a Special wall to the team Zapdos is my first Phazer to the team. It took awhile to decide if it needed Hidden Power Ice or Hidden Power Grass but its nothing the team already has so I took the advantage of that and gave it Roar which works well for it. One of the most effective ways I have found to use it so far is encounters with Ninjask.
An example is Ninjask is the opening pokemon, I switch out to Forretress first and then start setting up spikes. By the time I finish up with spikes I send out Zapdos. By this time they are just getting ready to Baton Pass, so they do and whats this Zapdos just blows it away and been able to set up all those spikes freely. The EV's are nice and bulky so Zapdos can take hard ice attacks from Mixape and other ice type pokemon but then still hit hard back with Heat Wave if Zapdos is opposing an ice type.
I named my Zapdos "Shadow_Blaze" because I know he likes Zapdos and he is a great tutor.
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Celebi @ Leftovers *** Celebrity
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Def / 8 SpD / 32 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Grass Knot
And what is a Stall team without a seeder to go on top of all that status inducing ability. When Leech Seed and Toxic Spikes are in play Celebi can stall out a pokemon by using Recover while leech seed helps gradually take out pokemon. Celebi has solid speed, great HP and best of all defensive strengths in the physical range. Celebi can take hits from DDdos which is great if Zapdos has been taken out early on in the game which I don't plan to happen anyway.
One of the other great things about Celebi is that is has Persish song making it another phazer that can go along nice with Zapdos. Giving me a Psedo Phazer and just a regular Phazer which is good to have. Although Celebi is based around being a tank whenever Leech Seed is in Celebi is at the top of its game and can aid Leech Seed with a hard hitting STAB Grass Knot which can help if Toxic Spikes isn't up at that time.
The EV spread gives Celebi a whole heap of bulkiness which is perfect to help and support the team. Celebi is also immune like Blissey to any status problems that pokemon may try to inflict on it thanks to the great power of Natural Cure which can really help out in alot of situations.
I named my Celebi "Celebrity" because it always trys to show off in anyway possible.
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Swampert (M) @ Leftovers *** No1LiekzMeh
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 246 HP / 18 Atk / 236 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Avalanche
- Earthquake
Ok, I already know what you're thinking. Errrr, why Avalanche on a Swampert? You are running an ice type move on Swampert when he gets outsped by the majority of other grass types anyway...Well the answer to that very question is for other grass pokemon that may try to switch in on Swampert. If you've seen a grass type pokemon on the opponents team and you send out Swampert they are only sure to swithc out that grass type pokemon next turn and thats why you can suprise them with Avalanche on the switch.
Swampert is the teams Tyranitar counter and does the best job at it because if its Earthquake connects with Tyranitar it gets OHKOed and instantly solves the teams problem. Tyranitar can just rip apart stall teams without it. Swampert aids Forretress the best with a 4x resistance to fire type moves and it they dare to stay in they can be hit hard by Swamperts Earthquake. Swampert also helps the team set up the stall with the addition of Stealth Rock to get some damage on those pesky flying types.
I named my Swampert "No1LiekzMe" because he is no longer a Mudkip. Plus other pokemon also wouldn't like Swampert especially Tyranitar. lol.
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Rotom-h @ Leftovers *** iBrnUrFood
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
Every successful stall team needs a Spin Blocker otherwise you can get in trouble with all those wasted turns of setting up spikes and rocks. So when the team encounters things like Tentacruel, Cloyser, Starmie of any other pokemon that can learn Rapid Spin in comes Rotom-h to save the day.
Rotom-h also makes a very succesful "Status Absorber" for the team and does his job very effectively. With the addition of Rest and Sleep Talk this can make him a great staller at the same time and his most ideal for once you have set up Stealth rock and Toxic Spikes as it can easily help stall out the opposing team.
Its bulky EV set to be worked in both kind of defenses is also superb making Rotom-h a really hard pokemon to break down and get past by meaning alot of trouble for the opponent and a really nice combo for the stall. With that all being said any Rotom form is ideal for a stall team as they make great Spin Blockers and Status Absorbers.
I named my Rotom-h "iBurnUrFood" because I once tried using Rotom-h as an oven and he burned my food :@
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Forretress (M) @ Shed Shell *** Old School
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpDef
Relaxed Nature (+Def, -Spe)
- Gyro Ball
- Rapid Spin
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes
Forretress, the heart and soul to this team and without him the team wouldn't be able to set up the mains of the stall which is crucial for any stall team. As long as Forretress is sent out at the right time then he can most certainly get some spikes up and cause the stall to begin.
With those nice bulky EV's a physical sweeper would find it very hard to try and get past him and Forretress can start setting up if they dare to try it. However if he does get in abit of trouble with say a special sweeper or a fire type is really no problem at all as he can just be switched out.
Forretress is also great for another reason, sure he learns both the spiking moves but he also learns Rapid Spin which is great to have for support on a team like this. Gyro Ball doesn't do much on Forretress with his bulky EV spread but its there anyway just incase.
I nicknamed my Forretress "Old School" because it was used alot more way back in the day.
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Conclusion:
In conclusion, this team may be slow but can take hard hits and still take out matches in a different fashion to offensive play. I hope you have enjoyed reading the team and you could even help make me make it better if you have any suggestions. I would also like to point out that this team is a {NO RIP} team so please respect that and don't steal.
~ IpF
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Team Building
Ok, so my main goal for this team was for it to be a very effective Stall team that would compliment each others typing while still being as effective and also as original as it could be which can be quite tricky in the Stall type genre. Here is a standard threat list of all the common OU pokemon and there counters, from this we can see how the actual team can revolve around this.
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Comprehensive Threat List And Counters:
Abomasnow: Scizor and Metagross.
Azelf: Scizor, Spiritomb, Tyranitar, Blissey, Cresselia and Houndoom.
Blissey: Machamp, Dugtrio, almost anything physical and faster and with the capability to kill her without taking much in return.
Breloom Zapdos. ResTalk Rotom-h.
Dugtrio: Slowbro, Suicune - general BulkyWaters or anything that can take an Earthquake.
Suicune: Blissey can take non-rest Suicunes with the combination of Toxic + Seismic toss. BulkyWaters which can take Surf work also. Special Sponge Zapdos can also do the job nicely.
Salamence: Hippowdon, Porygon2
Raikou: Blissey and Dugtrio.
Kingdra: Empoleon, Slowbro.
Zapdos: Blissey, Tyranitar, Cresselia, Swampert, Hippowdon
Tyranitar: Bronzong, Hippowdon
Heatran: Porygon2, Cresselia, Tyranitar, Blissey, BulkyWater.
Rhyperior: Suicune, Celebi, Breloom, Torterra, Rotom-W
Scizor: Heatran, Zapdos, Rotom-h
Mamoswine: Bronzong, Rotom-h, Scizor, Vaporeon / BulkyWater, Suicune, Slowbro
Lucario: Scizor, Rotom-H, Slowbro, Hippowdon
Rotom (all formes) Blissey (non-trick variants), T-Tar, Cresselia, Scizor (non-Will-O-Wisp)
Gengar: Scizor, Blissey, Tyranitar
Celebi: Heatran, Scizor, Rotom-h, Houndoom, Weavile
Slowbro: Scizor
Yanmega: Heatran, Blissey, Rotom, Mamoswine, Zapdos
Magnezone: Scizor, Dugtrio, Blissey
Starmie: Scizor, Blissey
Gyarados: Zapdos, [Bulky water with Hidden Power [Electric] / Grass Knot], Rotom formes
Heracross: Zapdos, Rotom-h
Cresselia: Scizor, Tyranitar, Weavile, Houndoom
BulkyWater: Zapdos, Blissey
Machamp: Slowbro, Gliscor
Togekiss: Blissey, Rotom, Bronzong
Porygon-Z Blissey, Bronzong
Jolteon: Blissey, Bronzong, Porygon2, Dugtrio
Swampert: Grass / Grass knot, Celebi
Metagross: Hippowdon, Rotom-h, Zapdos (to an extent), Swampert
Flygon: Hippowdon
Jirachi: Heatran, Hippowdon, Blissey
Skarmory: Rotom forme, Zapdos
Forretress: Zapdos, Heatran, Rotom
Hippowdon: Grass Knot / Celebi, Bulkywater
Aerodactyl: Hippowdon, Slowbro, bulkywater
Gliscor: BulkyWater, Slowbro
Snorlax: Machamp, Rhyperior
Infernape: Cresselia, BulkyWater
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General Stall Team Threat List And Counters:
Okay, so from discovering, what Pokemon countered the general threat list, I needed to know what Pokemon also helped counter the Pokemon which were counters to all stall teams in general. The list is as follows:
Tyranitar: Swampert
Empoleon: Zapdos, Rotom
Lucario: Zapdos, Swampert, Bronzong, Heatran
Jirachi: Zapdos, Swampert, Blissey, Hippowdon, Bronzong, Gliscor, Heatran
Mismagius: Rotom, Blissey, Clefable
Infernape: Swampert (Rindo Berry), Tentacruel, Cresselia, Gliscor, Suicune, Bulky Water
Rotom (All Formes): Blissey (Trick Varient), Clefable (Trick Varient)
Starmie: Zapdos, Blissey, Rotom, Celebi
Gyarados: Celebi, Zapdos, Suicune (Offensive), Rotom, Swampert
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General Stall Team Threats And Counter Tally
Okay, so from there I took a list of all the Pokemon that countered the "threat list Pokemon" including the Pokemon who countered the general stall team threats and then tallied them up to see which Pokemon countered most of the threat list; this would help me know what Pokemon could help me sustain a well in-cooperated team by analyzing Pokemon and their potential on the team. I wanted to get at least 20 points countering the general stall threat list and at least 40 for the general threat list which was quite a high goal for a stall team. It goes in the following format:
Code:
Pokemon | Pokemon countered on the general threat list | Pokemon countered from the general stall threat listHippowdon : 7 : 1
Rotom (General formes) : 7 : 4
Swampert : 7 : 4
Bronzong : 4 : 2
Cresselia : 8 : 1
Tyranitar : 7 : 2
Gliscor : 4 : 2
Zapdos : 11 : 6
Celebi : 3 : 2
Suicune : 4 : 2
Heatran : 8 : 2
Machamp:: 3 : 0
Forretress: 0 : 0
Skarmory: 0 : 0
Tentacruel: 0 : 1
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These were all pokemon I could have used And so from there, I referred back to the Comprehensive threat list and saw what Pokemon countered what. To an extent. I was looking for Pokemon who did the best job of countering X and supporting Y (Y Being threats to stall teams in general (X being Other Pokemon on the team).
I wanted to use a team which followed the team structure which I was wanting to keep:
- 3 Physical Walls
- 2 Special Walls
- 1 Mixed Wall
- 1 Phazer + 1 Psedo Phazer
- 2 Status Inducers
- 3 Staus Absorbers
- Excelleny Synergy
- Selction Of Types That All Tied In Together
Blissey, Rotom, Cresselia, Bronzong, and Zapdos.
Now from that selection my first choice was an obvious one as I took Blissey aside and started to think what I could do with Blissey. As I was thinking about a lead I thought well Blissey could actually have some potential as a "Stall" team lead. So I thought lots about it and well it turned out that it was a viable option as it would (a) Be a great way to start off the game with status inducing ability plus immediate wish support and (b) It would be a very unexpected suprise to the opponent.
So I decided to use the following Blissey set:
Blissey (F) @ Leftovers *** Egg Shooter
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 Def / 40 SpAtk / 216 SpDef
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Protect
- Wish
- Toxic
- Flamethrower
With 12 points on general threat list and 4 points on stall threat list and being the best special wall in the game things were certainly starting off in the right track. Plus my first status inducer was now in place. From there on I began to start building the base of the team
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Ok, so now I needed something to cover up for Blisseys fighting type weakness, which meant I needed a physical wall as offensive moves are usually fighting types. Celebi being a great physical wall, but a psychic type, a status inducer and the psedo phazer I needed so really what better pokemon to use. I ended up using this set:
Celebi @ Leftovers *** Celebrity
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 236 HP / 216 Def / 8 SpD / 32 Spe
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Perish Song
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Grass Knot
So now with Blissey and Celebi to aid each other the team was looking pretty solid. Both status inducers were now already in the team and it was now time to cover Celebi's weakness. Sadly since Celebi is weak to 3 different types (Fire /Ice /Ghost) it was going to be hard to cover with all those goals and type selection. However in some ways it was good because if it could be pulled off the team would have a range of ways to go and not just one pokemon down and the whole team is destroyed which is why this in a way gave it some good Synergy potential. Also switching out with Blissey continuously is a great way to stall out opponents who try to inflict status problems towards you which can really get opponent annoyed at times.
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Ok, it was now time to get a start on Celebi's weaknesses while still maintaining a nice balance of stall. Thanks to Blissey though all its weaknesses were already eliminated proving useful with the addition of Natural Cure on both of them. The way I see Celebi is a physical version of Blissey making them a great combo on a team and keeps the flow running continuously. So by this time 1/3rd of the team was done and it was looking something like this:
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It was now time to pick another pokemon which also complemented Celebi's weaknesses. I decided to pick Swampert as his results on the general threat list and stalling thread list were great and he was the counter to the feared Tyranitar which can absolutely rip apart stall teams without it. I used the following set:
Swampert (M) @ Leftovers *** No1LiekzMeh
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 246 HP / 18 Atk / 236 Def
Impish Nature (+Def, -SpA)
- Stealth Rock
- Stone Edge
- Avalanche
- Waterfall
With the addition of Tyranitar counter to the team it added more physical attacking moves to the team which it needed and the addition of Stealth Rocks too. By this stage the team was really starting to look good.
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Ok, so Swampert now the obvious thing to do was to fix up Swamperts grass type problem. Zapdos was very well and truly the best choice to cover up for this as it could then bring on a heavy Heat Wave to the opposing grass type pokemon. I used the following set to do so for this:
Zapdos @ Leftovers *** Shadow_Blaze
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 220 SpDef / 36 Spe
Calm Nature (+SpDef, -Atk)
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Roar
Zapdos also added my second speical wall to the team giving me 2 Physical Walls and 2 Special walls all aiding each other in the best possibly way. Not enough synergy you say? (lol) Well if that wasn't enough it then became apparent Zapdos's weakness to ice was covered by Swampert making it another nice flow like Blissey and Celebi.
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So by this time I had my 2 status inducers, my psedo phazer and my regular phazer, 2 physical walls and 2 special walls leaving my team currently looking like this:
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Now that the team was starting to gradually get alot better and with the amount of synergy it had it was time to bring in a status absorber.
Here the team had a choice between either any of the rotom formes:
or Cresselia
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But whenever you make a stall team the crucial thing you always have to remember is pack a Spin Blocker (a.k.a) a ghost type, most preferably a Rotom form. Anyway I chose Rotom-h as I have had experience with it in the past and it seems to be most effective for me. The set is as follows:
Rotom-h @ Leftovers *** iBrnUrFood
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 120 Def / 136 SpDef
Bold Nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Discharge
- Shadow Ball
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
So now with a Spin Blocker and a Mixed Tank (bulked up in SpDef to balance it out) the team was going very nicely from there on out. But not to mention now the team was very capable of slipping out of status problems as the team now had achieved the goal of 3 Status Absorbers. In a stall team it is important to keep your pokemon as status free as you can as you are the one you want to be inflicting the status problems to.
Rotom-h's weakness "Ghost" type is covered by Blissey and Zapdos keeping up with that synergy.
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The team was now only one pokemon short from being from being complete and it was now time to get the all important spiker to help finish up and sum up the teams stalling capability.
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Now with a choice of 3 spikers from either: Tentacruel, Skarmory and Forretress
I took some time to think through which one would be the ideal one to use and why. Skarmory has 1 weakness and can only set up Spikes, while not being able to rapid spin. Tentacruel has 2 weaknesses, can only et up Toxic Spikes and can rapid spin. And then theres Forretress with 1 weakness, can set up both "spikes" and "toxic spikes" and on top of all that he can Rapid Spin. So the choice was then clear after that I would go with Forretress.
Forretress may have a heavy fire weakness but if its physical it can be covered by both Zapdos and Rotom-h and if its special it can be taken by Rotom-h again and Blissey. However Swampert can take it either way and then hit back hard with an Earthquake. The only better thing about Tentacruel then Forretress is that it can take out Infernape but its still not worth it.
With this team by running Forretress it saves up a spot and can still keep its wonderful synergy.
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After all that, this is the end result of my team:
As a final recap have ended up with this:
- 3 Physical Walls
- 2 Special Walls
- 1 Mixed Wall
- 1 Phazer + 1 Psedo Phazer
- 2 Status Inducers
- 3 Status Absorbers
- At least 20 points on stall threat list
- At least 40 points on general threat list
- Excellent Synergy
- Selection Of Types That All Tied In Together
Final threat list:
Abomasnow: Zapdos's Heat Wave takes care of this ;Blissey handles special variants.
Azelf: Azelf can be pressured / tricked in to exploding with Blissey but is countered by Rotom-h's Shadow Ball and defences.
Blissey: Swamperts Earthquake counters Blissey nicely.
Breloom: Zapdos can Heat Wave it.
Dugtrio: Swampert cause Earthquake / Avalanche to counter it whilst Celebi can use Grass Knot on it.
Suicune: Blissey can take non-rest Suicunes with the combination of Toxic + Wish + Protect. But Celebi is my main conter for it. Rotom-h also helps.
Salamence: Swampert walls it and then Avalanche.
Raikou: Blissey.
Kingdra: Celebi can counter this thing and stops it cold.
Zapdos: Blissey and Celebi
Tyranitar: Swampert walls it and OHKOes with Earthquake.
Heatran: Blissey, Zapdos and Swampert.
Rhyperior: Celebi can just use Grass Knot on it.
Scizor: Zapdos
Mamoswine: Scizor and Slowbro.
Lucario: Zapdos walls it hard and OHKOes with Heat Wave.
Rotom (all formes): Blissey (non-trick variants), otherwise, let Zapdos or someone take Scarf and deal with it from there.
Gengar: Zapdos walls it and can stat eleminating it.
Celebi: Swamperts ice beam (With Swamperts Rindo Berry still on)
Slowbro: Zapdos
Yanmega: Blissey can Flamethrower. Swampert can ice beam, Zapdos can Thunderbolt and Rotom-h can Discharge.
Magnezone: Blissey and Swampert
Starmie: Blissey, Zapdos can use Thunderbolt and Rotom-h can use Discharge.
Gyarados: Swampert can Stone edge, Zapdos can Thunderbolt although Rotom-h is my main counter here as he is bulky enough to take the hits and then go back with Discharge for the OHKO.
Heracross: Zapdos can Heat Wave.
Cresselia: Blissey and Swampert.
BulkyWater: Zapdos, Blissey, Celebi and Rotom-h.
Machamp: Celebi
Togekiss: Blissey <3
Porygon-Z: Blissey. Rotom-h and Zapdos.
Jolteon: Blissey, Swampert can earthquake.
Swampert: Celebi can Grass knot it.
Metagross: Zapdos can come in on Meteor Mash / Earthquake and Heat Wave
Flygon: Swampert.
Jirachi: Blissey and Swampert
Skarmory: Zapdos can Thunderbolt / Heat Wave for an OHKO.
Forretress: Zapdos OHKOs with Heat Wave.
Hippowdon: Celebi can Grass Knot it
Aerodactyl: Swampert.
Gliscor: Swampert can just use Avalanche and OHKO.
Infernape: NP nape is taken by Swampert still. Mixape is walled by Zapdos and gradually taken out.
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I would like to point out this is the first of two guides so stay tuned for "What Makes A Succesful Offensive Team" next time!
Look forward to hear what you have to say about the reference.
Also credits to Malachi for the sweet format and had work on the threat lists.
